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IPA is a leading capital projects think tank with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil and Singapore. We currently have an exciting opportunity in our EMEA head office in Reading for Research Analysts. The successful candidate(s) will have the potential to become a consultant and trusted adviser in their industry specialisation.
Are you passionate about applying an interest in the energy and renewables area to real-world applications where you can see the benefit? Are you interested in learning about what makes complex capital projects really tick?
Are you curious how companies and teams organise themselves to develop, plan, and execute projects? Do you love making connections and solving puzzles? Are you that rare combination of detailed and focused, yet you have broad interests and ideas? Do you enjoy analytical research work while also being comfortable in a client-facing role?
About the role
The Research Analyst focuses on developing analytical products that support our benchmarking business and targeted research to help clients in the energy, renewables, mining and minerals, and other major commodity areas.
Research Analysts are also tasked with creating new products that drive the company forward and help our clients navigate a changing world. Independent Project Analysis (IPA) is a company that values innovation and the Research Analyst has a lead role in this innovation effort.
About IPA & the project research division
IPA has expertise and offerings across a wide range of industry sectors and product areas. Research Analysts have the opportunity to specialise in the following areas:
- Industry sector specialisation (energy, chemicals and life sciences, mining, etc.)
- Carbon management
- Site and sustaining capital
- Project cost analysis
- Organisation and teams
IPA’s client portfolio includes world-leading companies in both heavy and light industries around the world. Major industry leaders globally rely on us to assess the health of their capital project systems and provide recommendations to improve their performance.
The IPA project databases are unique and the most comprehensive sources of capital project experience in existence. IPA also takes a leading role in empirical research into the drivers of better projects and project systems, using our extensive databases of past project performance.
Required skills and abilities
IPA seeks candidates for our Research Analyst roles with strong analytical skills and intellectual curiosity who are looking to contribute as a thought leader. The candidate’s interest in studying project practices that affect project outcomes is critical.
Aptitude and demonstrated skills to be a successful analyst and consultant include the ability to connect real life with the data and vice versa, to know when to ask more questions and when to simply listen, and to back yourself as you learn and thrive.
- Excellent written and oral communication
- Well-developed interpersonal skills to develop and maintain client relationships at senior levels
- Demonstrated aptitude for learning and effectively applying new concepts
- Solid and proven analytical capabilities
- Proven ability to relate data and statistical analysis to real-world application
- Track record of finding creative solutions to complex problems and displaying comfort with ambiguity
- Flexibility in thought and/or approach
- Excellent team player and capable of managing multiple projects independently
- Ability to undertake and be comfortable in a client-facing role
About you
Education & experience
- Master’s degree in a STEM, behavioural science, or related field OR Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) and 1 to 2 years’ experience in fields such as economics, statistics, data science, applied research, energy, renewables, petroleum or chemical engineering, operations research, systems engineering or allied fields
- Experience using statistical programming languages such as Stata, R, Python, and/or SQL
- Experience in applied research or consulting
- Solid understanding of basic statistics and Best Practices
- Able to translate data and analytics into meaningful stories and insights
- Excellent listening, presentation, and report writing skills with strong attention to detail
- Able to demonstrate intellectual curiosity and ability to conduct research independently
Desirable skills
- Experience working with and creating data architectures
- Applied background in machine learning algorithms (e.g., regression, trees, artificial neural networks)
- Knowledge of state-of-the-art data visualisations
- Applied experience in people analytics
- Expertise in survey design and psychometrics
This position will involve about 10 to 15 percent travel.
Why IPA?
IPA is the preeminent global benchmarking and consultancy for capital projects. IPA guides capital-intensive organisations to establish the right combination of people, work process, and governance to maximise cost, schedule, safety, and operability performance. We have a dataset of more than 21,000 capital projects as the basis of our work.
Our clients are leading companies in the process, extractive, and technology sectors who conduct capital projects in the petroleum, minerals, infrastructure, chemicals, and renewables. IPA is committed to social and ethical responsibility and all global offices initiate or participate in local charity initiatives to support those in need.
We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, stable employment, and long-term career paths for professional growth and development. IPA is an Equal Opportunities employer.
Applicants should complete the form below and include a cover letter, resume, and salary requirement.
